Just the two of us
by prcttybitchin
Summary: For the longest time it was just the two of them against the world and as both of their lives change four seems to have faded back to just two - but maybe for just one night each other is all they need. [A Barchie oneshot based after 2x08]


Archie Andrews felt his heart drop a little as she moved from the window and out of his sight but then she was back causing his heart to lurch whether she knew it or not, stood there with her perfect pony tail in place, her simple pyjamas on looking just like the Betty he knew and loved. Betty Cooper was an enigma he just couldn't quite figure out or rather it was the way she made him feel that confused him. Archie had been convinced for so long that he saw her as no more than a best friend but then he couldn't have her and it seemed something in him, something he had tried to push back – maybe that was part of the reason he was so desperate for things to be ok with Ronnie. It was much easier to not look at Betty and Jughead and feel the twang in his chest when he had Veronica to love him. And now he didn't even have that. With a soft smile he looked back at her, she looked sad he could tell even as she smiled something had happened and he could only guess it was something to do with Jughead, with a small nod of his head he gestured for her to join him, it would be much easier for her to come over here after all than if he had to try and get past Mrs Cooper.

Betty wasn't quite sure she was in the mood to speak with anyone but looking back at her best friend Archie Andrews she found herself nodding. He'd been her comfort blanket for years and maybe he still could be just for tonight – god knows she needed someone. No doubt Archie would come up with some way to make her feel better about the disaster that had happened earlier. Holding up her hand Betty gestured that she would be five minutes, quickly pulling on a sweater she dug from a bottom draw, she'd quite stuffed away the boy next doors hoodie when she had started dating Jug and after slipping her feet into soft slippers she snuck down the stairs and out of the front door. Normally she wouldn't let anyone see her like so but Archie was a different to everyone else.

Reaching to knock Betty gave a small gasp as Archie opened the door and greeted her with a smile. "Hey are you okay?" He asked softly as he looked down at her, smiling at the sight of the sweater too large for her – was that his? "You look sad – what is it Betty?" Archie questioned as he stepped to the side for her to come in, Fred had long since been in bed and wouldn't be bothering them anytime soon. For a moment she considered putting on a brave face but instead her smile only fell and this time she was shaking her head, tears threatening to make an appearance at each corner of her eyes. "I…Jughead broke up with me – I tried to join the serpents with a stupid dance and he was…"

"Wait you did what?" Archie asked looking down at her his expression a mixture of shock and anger. "Why would you do that Betty?" He questioned her trying to keep the judgement from his tone as they reached his bedroom.

"Because Archie I feel like he's slipping away and I just wanted to support him, show him that I was trying to understand his life and I just…" A sob followed the blondes words as she reached to wipe a forming tear away. "I was stupid." She breathed softly as she sat on the edge of his bed Archie soon following to sit by her. "Betty you're many things but stupid is not one of them….and you certainly don't have to join the serpents to please anyone do you understand me?" He tried to comfort her as he reached to wrap an arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I just don't understand why he's pushing me away Arch…" She breathed softly as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry you don't want to deal with this…what's wrong with you why aren't you smiling?" Betty asked as she looked back up at her best friend from where she was resting against him.

"Oh it's nothing I just uh…Ronnie broke up with me, we were at different places – I guess we were both pushed away tonight." He laughed softly though there was really nothing funny about the way either of them were feeling he knew that – it sucked.

"I'm sorry Arch." Betty mumbled softly as she looked up at him. She was just so tired, tired of trying to fix everything, please everyone all the time, sometimes she just needed to break. "In other news my mom was doing shots of tequila with eye liner on tonight and then she saw me strip tease for the serpents. She's probably never going to forgive me for what I did." She smiled weakly as she looked up at him.

Archie shook his head gently as he looked back at her, he was glad he hadn't been there to watch that, there was a good chance he'd have tried to pull her from the stage. "Well you can always hide out here if you need, I'm sure she will get over it soon enough right? Do you want to stay here tonight? I can stop on the floor and you can have my bed?" He offered as he reached to brush away one of her stray tears. Looking up at him Betty found herself smiling, and for the first time that night it was real, trust Archie to try and still be a gentleman even though they had been best friends for years. "We can share the bed Archie…we've done it plenty of times before." She chuckled as she moved to crawl to the wall side of the bed, she knew deep down that she really should have gone home and dealt with her mother, dealt with breaking up with Jughead but she just needed a minute to be the simple teenager she was back before all of the madness in Riverdale had started. Removing the slippers from her feet Betty slipped herself under the sheets pulling her hair loose from her pony tail.

Archie looked down at her for a moment or two, unsure as the whether or not this was going to be a good idea but watching as she snuggled in, now taking up much more room than she used to in the bed Archie found himself giving in, slipping his shirt from his back knowing he wouldn't ever be able to sleep with it on and climbing in the bed making sure to keep a gap between them as he rolled over to look back at her. "Do you ever miss the days it was just us and there was no killing or drama to deal with?" Archie asked as he looked back at Betty who nodded, though he could tell she was trying to keep her eyes open. "When I was just the girl next door?" She asked, causing another drop in Archie's chest as her eyes fell closed. "Yea those days were much easier." Betty nodded with a small smile. "Night Archie." She breathed softly opening her eyes once more to look up across at him before she felt herself give into sleep.

Looking across at her the stir in Archie's chest was well and truly back, he knew he shouldn't be looking back at Betty and feeling like this he knew he shouldn't – Ronnie had just broken up with him and he was supposed to love her, and he did but why was it all so damn confusing? Closing his eyes Archie tried to focus on falling asleep and not the blonde who was now breathing softly at the side of him, eventually the young red head letting his own exhaustion take over.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was around 3am when Fred Andrews woke to realise he hadn't heard his son come home, briefly he wondered if he had decided to stop at Veronica's and the older Andrews turned to look at his phone. Seeing no messages from Archie he frowned softly, he had gotten pretty good at letting him know where he was these days and so if he hadn't text Fred was sure that he must have come home but just to be safe the male decided to go and check.

With a small yawn he made his way across to his son's room, gently pushing the door open only to be shocked at the sight before him. It had been a long time since he had seen both blonde and red hair in his son's bed and though the sight once brought a smile to Fred's face this time it only brought worry. It might not have been so bad had it not been for the way Betty was tucked to closely into his sons arms, the two of them seemingly unaware of the way they were clinging to one another in their sleep. When he had told Archie to go out and enjoy himself this was certainly not what he had expected Archie to do, the only thing appeasing him being the sight of the sweater Betty was wearing and he could only hope they both had bottoms on under the covers. Archie had enough to deal with right now without getting himself into this trouble as well.

"Oh Archie." Fred sighed softly at the red head. Despite himself though Fred couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he looked back at the sleeping teens once more, he should have woken them, demanded to know what was going on like any normal parent would have – like he knew Alice Cooper would have but for many years he'd waited for this day, he and Mary had spent hours talking about their son and the young blonde he wouldn't be separated from, wondering if it would ever become more as they grew older. Seeing it now part of him wished Mary was still here just to see, just to help him deal with all of this. Deciding with a shake of his head to talk to his son in the morning Fred pulled the door closed and returned to his own slumber.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Waking to the feeling of warmth against his chest Archie frowned softly, it was something he had gotten used to lately with Veronica and yet it couldn't be her because they had broken up. Letting his eyes flutter open Archie remembered the night before, the blonde currently fast asleep on his chest bringing back what he seemed to have forgotten in slumber. Immediately he felt the guilt return, had he taken advantage of Betty being sad, what would Veronica think - what about Jughead? As carefully as he could Archie found himself slipping from the bed, gently letting Bettys head rest on his pillow – he didn't want to wake her, not when he was sure this must have been the most sleep she had had in weeks.

Grabbing a shirt from the back of his chair Archie made his way downstairs, pulling it over his head as he reached the kitchen, pausing at the sight of his dad waiting for him sat at the island. "You're up early…" Fred began as he sipped on his coffee looking back at his son. "Betty still sleeping?" He asked with a raised brow watching carefully for how Archie would react to his question.

"How did you know?" Archie asked dumbly as he sat himself down on a stool looking back at his father with a guilty expression. "I came to check you were home last night and found you both asleep…what are you doing son? What happened to telling Veronica you loved her?" Fred asked him quietly, he didn't want to pressure his son or try and tell him what he was doing was something negative but he also didn't want him getting hurt or hurting the girls either. "It's bad enough finding her in your bed but Betty…when I said to have fun I didn't mean…"

Archie cut his dad of with a shake of his head. "No dad it's not like that we didn't….Betty is not like that and I would never." He protested much to Fred's relief, but his son still look conflicted. "She broke up with Jughead and Veronica dumped me we were just talking and she didn't want to go home – I didn't mean to…spoon her." Archie admitted which brought a small laugh to Fred's lips.

"Oh son you do know how to get yourself into a mess don't you?" Archie was a looker just like his mother and Fred wasn't blind to what was going on with him and the girls at school. "You just need to be careful okay? You can't be in love with Veronica one moment and in bed with Betty the next…it's only going to hurt someone and that could be you – do you know what you want Archie?" He asked him softly and Archie could only shake his head.

"I told you…when I'm with Ronnie she makes it light and easy – it's fun and I feel like I'm just a teenager in school again. I love her dad I really do but then Betty…." Archie trailed off as he looked up to meet his father's gaze again. "She's always been there for me…as long as I can remember it's been Betty and Archie against the world and she's so perfect dad – I always thought she was too perfect for me and we were just meant to be friends but then she got with Jughead and something changed, I don't know it if was her or because I was seeing her differently but every time I see her or look at her I'm overwhelmed by how beautiful she is and how kind and selfless….she's my best friend but I think a part of me loves her too." Archie fell silent for a moment looking back at Fred as if he was supposed to make the choice for him. "Is that even possible? To be in love with two people at once?" He asked desperate for an answer that would make sense to him.

"I think love is a tricky business Archie and you're still so young, both girls are beautiful and I can see why you're torn but you have to be sure that you're really feeling these things and they're not just there because you want them to be okay? My advice would be to try and give yourself a little space from the two of them – maybe you could visit your mom for a few days and clear your head. You need to just be a kid again for a while and that doesn't seem to happen here. But I'll let you decide on that okay? And I'm always here if you need me…just please to be careful okay? Hearts are easier to break than you might think." Fred warned him as he stood, slapping a hand on his sons shoulder before he climbed the stairs again.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Returning to his room Archie hoped Betty hadn't woken yet but instead he was greeted by the sight of a sobbing blonde on his bed. Rushing in Archie knelt in front of his bed, hands reaching out to her shoulders as he lifted her gaze to look at him. "Hey Betty what is it? Is it the Black Hood did he call again? Did he do something?" He asked immediately fearing the worst but Betty shook her head.

"No Archie it's not that…it's me…I've finally realised I'm the one that's not good enough, I'm not good enough - I saw you sneak out…the look on your face, you don't want me here – Jughead doesn't want me, all I do is screw up! Why am I not enough Archie? " She breathed through tears, she'd been hit with a wave of emotion as she woke up remembering everything that had happened the night before. Part of her she would have woken to find out it was all her dream but seeing Archie face as he snuck out had simply pushed her over the edge.

"Hey hey….what are you talking about Betty? You're amazing…you're beautiful and smart - of course you're enough – Jugheads just going through a rough time with the serpents and I broke up with Ronnie I just…" Archie trailed off not sure how to make her feel better when he seemed to be the issue here.

"Veronica right…because you stopped paying attention to me the second she walked into that diner that night…and now Jughead has Toni – I'm not blind you know I can see how gorgeous she is, I can't even be mad I mean why he wouldn't want her, she fits into that life perfectly and she's kind too, she would be so easy for him to be with. It's me….I'm the issue I have to be." Betty sobbed quietly. Looking back at her Archie could feel his panic rising, sad Betty he could normally deal with but this was something he had never seen before – unable to think of anything else to do Archie lent up on his heels, hands cupping her face as he lent into the press a kiss to her lips, stunning the girl into silence for a moment as she froze. "Archie…you don't have to do that to make me feel better." She whispered but Archie shook his head as he looked down at her. "For once Betty be quiet." He mumbled back softly before his lips found hers again, this time with a little more hunger behind them. It was strange kissing Betty, he could taste a mixture of her sweet lip balm and the salt from her tears, it was soft and left him feeling unsure but it was almost as if kissing her was familiar to him, like he should have been doing this all along.

Betty wasn't sure how to feel as Archie kissed her, god she had imagined this moment so many times in her head and then she hadn't thought about it at all whilst she was with Jughead. It was strange the roughness to his lips and the way it was so different from how she had pictured kissing him would feel but so much better. Reaching her hands forward Betty let them trail up the inside of his shirt, running over the new abs he had acquired lately before tugging at his waist so he was laid back on the bed with her.

Lacing his fingers through her blonde hair Archie gave a small groan as she tugged him onto the bed and his hips pressed into hers but feeling the way Betty's hand were moving on his body he knew he had to pull away, no matter how much he enjoyed the taste of her tongue against his own or the way her soft body felt under him Archie made himself pull back, breathless as he looked down at her. "Look Betty I can't….we can't…"He breathed, cursing internally as she seemed to recoil under him again and the sadness returned to her eyes. "It's okay Archie…I'll just get my stuff." She nodded, heading to move from her head but Archie quickly stopped her with a grip on her arm. "Betty it is not like that please…we just can't okay? I mean you and Jug…you never…did it right?" He asked hating the very thought of it. "Which means you haven't had your first time and as much as I want to – as much as I'm tempted you deserve that to be special – not some quick fumble because you were sad." Archie breathed as he looked down at her, making sure to keep his hands to himself. "If it were going to be me I'd want to do it right."

Looking back at him Betty wiped her eyes, trying not to smile as he rambled, god she was such an idiot but he was right even if she didn't want him to be. "I know…and I'm sorry I shouldn't have tried to – just thankyou Arch." Pausing she looked back at him for a moment. "I really should go now, my mom will be after me, worrying where I am and we have more Black Hood stuff to investigate." She sighed, the look of stress working its way back onto her features as she moved from the bed. His dad's words suddenly flashed in his head and Archie climbed from his bed after her. "Hey Betty what do you say we take a day and we just relax? Just be Betty and Archie for once and have some fun…we can watch films, eat popcorn, just take a day off and I promise I will help you get right back to it tomorrow, we will have fresh heads and fresh minds but you really just need a break Betty." Archie urged as he looked down at her, a pleading look in his eyes.

For a moment she considered arguing, they had so much to do but the thought of just spending a day hidden away from the Black Hood and everyone who had seen her stupid dance last night really didn't seem so bad to her and so with a small sigh she nodded. "Fine, but I get to pick the film – and we get straight back to it tomorrow." Betty affirmed as she climbed back onto his bed, grabbing his laptop to pull up Netflix. With a small laugh Archie gave her a small salute and parked himself next to her on the bed. "You're the boss - so what are we watching first?" He asked her, one arm circling around her shoulder as she scrolled.

Taking her eyes from the screen for a moment she looked up with him with a bright smile. "The Lion King – you ready Simba?" Betty asked, the memory of their favourite childhood game strong in her mind, just as it was Archie's.

"Always Nala." The red head nodded in agreement and just for today they were back to the boy and girl who lived next door to each other. Whose biggest worries were the pop quiz on Monday and if they had enough junk food to last them to weekend? For just one day at least they would laugh together, find comfort in each other and though the crazy would catch up with them soon enough and they'd have to deal with the fact somewhere over the past 12 hours they seemed to have crossed the line of friendship, for now whatever this was – was just enough.


End file.
